A Look Back

"I've learned that things change, people change, and it doesn't mean you forget the past or try to cover it up. It simply means that you move on and treasure the memories. Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means accepting that some things just weren't meant to be.""I want to be able to look at you and not be hurt by you."

After a horribly long and stressful week, I am finally able to breathe. Through this process of breathing tonight I realized that I only have 4 days of my junior year left. Next year at this time, I will be graduating and saying goodbye to people who mean a whole lot to me. This year has been crazy, and I have seen my friends and I go through many different changes. I learned a lot this year, and matured, made new friends, said goodbye to some, and had a lot of fun. Of course there were moments when I absolutely did not think I could take it another minute being down here, but I was always brought back to the beauty of everything by good friends and great people. It is strange to think that the seniors that are graduating this year I probably will never see again. I think this year has shown me that people come into your lives and you don't know how long they will be there, but for that moment that they are apart of your life, they are there for a reason. Things do change, relationships change, friendships come and go, and just because it is over does not mean they were not significant. Sometimes it is sad to think about those people you were so close to who who now are not that front and center in your life anymore. However, I have realized that even though things do change, as they have to, God always brings someone else in your life that you need right then. So, here is a look back on my junior year at Huntington University. I am warning you now, there are a lot of pictures, but I can pretty much guarantee that you will enjoy looking at them :)

First, the lovely ladies I lived with all year in the 807: Lindsay, Megan and Emily. Life with them is pretty great.

My roommate Lindsay. Let's just say that we have had a lot of amazing times...most of them happening randomly in the middle of the night! She always makes me laugh!

Megan and I. We are probably the best Principle and Superintendent out there, who can sing "I Will Always Love You" pretty well too.



Emily and I. She has always been such a steady friend in my life, who I love watching movies and going crazy with!



First day of junior year classes! Courtney named this bush by our apartment Winnie. Many great dance parties happened by Winnie.

Brynne came and visited me for a weekend! It was one of the best weekends. Love her!

This picture sums up a lot of what happened throughout the year. Basically, the boys would steal stuff from our apartment and then we would go and steal their stuff and the cycle would continue. This is one of their prized possessions that we hung up in our apartment.

Halloween: my dreams came true. I was finally able to dress up as Dr. Quinn. Great Halloween.

The baseball boys made this for us after coming to one of our get togethers. This was back when we used the "strike" method of keeping everyone align in our apartment.

I was very lucky to get closer to these amazing girls! This apartment was definitely my second home! I so appreciate them listening to all of my crazy stories :)

After one of our junior block classes we had to go to the Huntington Museum (blah). Don't worry though, Erica and I made it fun by taking random pictures throughout the place while we were supposed to be paying attention.

Making Christmas cookies at home with my sister = a very good time.

Is November 2 too early to decorate the apartment for Christmas? HECK NO! We got decked out in Christmas colors ready to get down to business!

The lighting of the 807 Christmas tree :)

Nothing better than Christmas in Grand Rapids!

Annual Christmas party with my high school best friends! Love these girls so much!

So...we love coffee. Starbucks has gotten some pretty great business from us this year.

Scotty became very famous this year. He is just a natural model.

Chicago at Christmas time with the girls!

All of us!

Milly and I ice skating downtown!

Brynne and I at the New Year's Eve Party! So fun. Of course, we are standing next to the trellace. Beautiful memories.

We had some great birthday moments in the 807. Hiding cupcakes in the microwave was one of them.

One of the most amazing experiences of my life was working with these students in Fort Wayne over J-Term. I learned so much from them and miss them daily! This experience has opened my heart for wanting to teach in an inner city school.

Driving to Harrison Hill during J-Term everyday with Chelsey, Jackie, and Beth was amazing!

I learned that candy really does inspire some students :)

Basically, we love to eat anything and everything at this counter. So many good memories of just standing there and eating popcorn with m&m's!

I spent about 6 hours on average with these people. We grew very close and struggled through the sometimes annoying year together. What is life going to be like without them? haha.

Disco ball. Another thing we stole from the boys. Provided lots of good entertainment!

We had to write children's songs in one class. I wrote the "Zoo Song" to the tune of "Home on the Range." It soon became a number one hit on campus.

I was blessed enough to make myself at home in Boca Grande. My first trip was over spring break with Chelsey, Christen, and Lindsay. This place has already become a special place in my heart and I can't wait to be back!

Once again, Scotty. For those of you who read my big book, this picture is for you ;)

Spring break! I could not have asked for a better location, or better people to spend a week with!

Making bulletin boards was the essence of my being this entire year.

Tennis breakfasts!

Kellyn, Beth, Carrie and I at the Tin Caps game! These girls and I have become so close and I am so glad I got to spend so much time with them!

Beth and I in the backseat while we all creep on people around campus at night. More fun than you will ever know.

April Fools Day turned into April Fools Month, which now (I am happy to announce) has turned into April Fools Year. You better think before you believe what goes on this year :)

Our reading table: Beth, Kellyn, (Carrie), me, and Jake. We suffered through a lot of pain from thsi class by writing notes to each other on little blue pieces of paper. We made it!

This year truly has been a wild adventure. I hope that everyone at some point in their lives gets to experience living away from home for a while and gets to meet new people and experience new things. Also, take this advice, from what I learned this year:

-If you want to tell someone you love them, do it right then. Don't go home and analyze it. Say it when you feel it.

-Think before you do anything drastic. If you know it will hurt the person, don't do it.

-Feel what you feel. It's annoying when people act like they don't care, anyway.

-Say you're sorry. Don't let friendships or relationships die on your part.

-Meet new people.

-Don't be afraid to get close to someone or to let yourself love someone because you are scared.

-Don't wait until 8 p.m. to start your bulletin board the night before it is due.

-If you want to complain about teaching and how stresesd you are, always complain with other pre service teachers.

-Pray every morning before the day starts. No, really. It helps.

-Starbucks makes everything better.

-The best memories you will take away always seem to be those silly moments like when scary boys are pounding on your apartment door and you and your roommates are lying on the floor screaming. It really is all about those little moments.

So, with that, goodbye junior year. It seems like just yesterday I was moving everything into an empty apartment infested with bees and no working air conditioning. Time goes by much too fast.